The quest for the perfect shaving razor is as old as shaving itself and has merely intensified with the introduction of safety razors. In addition to having sharp and smooth cutting edges, such a razor must use blades that are relatively long lived and give many comfortable shaves. The blades must be relatively inexpensive and changing and rinsing of the blade during use must be quick, convenient and trouble free. Every user has his or her own preference, but it is unlikely that any prior art or conventional razor approaches the ideal for all of the desired characteristics alluded to.
Representative examples of prior efforts at providing improved safety razors may be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 949,255 and 2,973,575. The earlier patent teaches a razor having resiliently mounted lugs adapted to retain a double-edge blade at its corners and a handle with spring-urged means for releasing or engaging the blade. In that patented structure, the blade was undesirably uncovered and exposed and the maintenance of the necessary tension on modern thin-metal blades questionable.
In the later of those prior patents, there is shown a razor having the familiar and bothersome two-piece construction which includes a separate clamping head. Problems of cost and difficulty of manufacture of the generally triangular double-edge blade were also presented because conventional straight edge, continuous strip manufacturing techniques were precluded.
Other efforts in this art have included razors for double-edge blades of unified construction and screw-type handles for opening and closing the clamping top, injector-type mechanisms for use with single-edge blades and, more recently, replaceable cartridges containing one or two single-edge blades. As every daily user of razors can attest, each of those prior expedients has certain undesirable as well as desirable features.
Yet another approach to the improved safety razor is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,863,213. That patent teaches a three piece, separable, razor structure and a trapezoidal blade having four edges for enhanced shaving life. Once again, the form of the patented blade was complex and precluded the employment of modern and efficient continuous strip manufacturing methods.
Thus, there still exists the need for a safety razor which better combines the desirable aims of convenience, durability, long blade life and reasonable blade cost.